Why Web Design Is Important In Today's Times (And How to Adapt)

Introduction

Seemingly out of the blue, the way that companies around the world do business has changed radically.

Work is done from home now. Meetings are conducted virtually. Retail stores have turned to websites. Food is ordered online and eaten at home. Gyms are closed and people work out from home.

During the early months of 2020, a disease called COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, ravaged the world economy and forced millions of small businesses and independent contractors to close up shop, while others hung on for dear life.

In just days, having a website became critical to the success or survival of a business.

The coronavirus has shown us that things can change in a matter of days, and if you're not prepared, you could get left behind. People are constantly searching for new ways to get connected, opening up opportunities to connect with customers. If coronavirus has taught us anything, it's that now is the time to adapt to the latest technologies, or you'll get left behind.

How to Adapt Your Business to COVID-19

COVID-19 (among other examples) has shown that the mantra "adapt or die" still holds true. We've created a list of ways that you can harness the power of the internet to adapt your business in the midst and in the wake of COVID-19, so you can come out on top in the end.

1. Open Your Virtual Doors

When you're ready to open a storefront, the first step is to open the doors to let customers come in. If you never give any indication your business is open, customers will think you're closed and won't come in.

The same holds true online. Let customers know that you have a website, or that you have an Instagram or Facebook page.

It's also smart to create a Google My Business listing to keep searchers up to date.

At this point in time, I would venture to say most people assume businesses are closed unless told otherwise. You need to let your customers, and potential customers, know that your doors are still open, just virtually. Your "virtual doors" need to be open.

Instead of "come in to our office for a consultation," tell customers "We're offering virtual consultations!"

Instead of "come in to the store to buy items on sale," tell your customers "We're running a sale on our online store!"

Instead of "come in and sit down to enjoy a nice hot meal," tell your customers "Order a hot meal online and we'll bring it out to your car!"

You can do this through a website, your social media, or word of mouth.

2. Recruit the Help of Others

It's very hard to go alone on the internet. With many companies having an extremely strong online presence, getting the word out is hard.

You'll need to enlist the help of friends, family, coworkers, employees, and everyone in your circle to get the word out.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Nowadays, almost everyone is motivated to help small business. We're all in this together, and many people would be happy to share your posts or website, you just need to ask.

3. Refresh & Redesign Your Website

If the novel coronavirus has shown us anything, it's that having a good website design in Oklahoma City (or wherever you're located) is critical.

Delivering an enjoyable, usable, and stress-free experience is crucial to keeping customers on your website.

If your website isn't usable or frustrates your users, visitors will leave your site and find someone who does it better.

If users can't easily get what they want on your website, they'll go find a competitor that's doing it better.

Coronavirus has changed the way that customers interact with businesses. More customers will do research about your company online before visiting.

If your website is too hard to navigate, doesn't look modern, or loads extremely slowly, it's time to hire a new Oklahoma City web designer.

Next Steps

If you're ready to refresh your website design, our team of Oklahoma web design experts is here to help. Give us a call at +1 (405) 509-5494 or click here to start your Oklahoma City web design process.